More lay-offs at WOTC! [Merged]
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paqman
First Post
Am I the only one to feel wrong about this
Here is the latest news from Gamming report:
--------------------------------------------
RE: Reorganization
The past two years have been challenging ones for Wizards of the Coast. It is with great sadness that today we must announce some organizational changes. Today’s organizational changes are designed to help drive our business into the future to improve our performance and our long-term profitability.
Unfortunately, some positions have been eliminated. Employees leaving the company will receive a competitive severance program including pay and benefits continuation, career transition services and support.
While these types of moves are always difficult, our competitive industry demands that we operate as efficiently as possible. For example, as part of Hasbro’s U.S. Games Segment, we can take advantage of the leverage afforded by utilizing shared services available across the broader Hasbro organization instead of maintaining duplicate functions at additional expense.
Wizards of the Coast will continue to lead by example in the hobby industry as the worldwide market share leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories. We believe that the moves we are making today and throughout the rest of this year will help contribute to our long-term growth and profitability, as we continue to bring to market great games to consumers around the world.
Loren Greenwood
Chief Operating Officer
Wizards of the Coast
-----------------
**NOTE to Morrus, if you feel you need to remove this post, I won't feel cheated, I just need to blow off some steam.**
Alright, I am usually a lurker here, I never say much, I am a professional in the 30s and consider my self a level minded person. I have played dnd in all it's forms for the last 15 years, but I sudenlly feel, for the first time in my life, the need to burst in an uncontrolable fit of sarcasm for something seen on the net.
Here goes, point by point (Sorry for those who don't want to see this, but for those who feel like venting I would suggest for you to participate):
>>The past two years have been challenging ones for Wizards of the Coast.
You bet!!!!! with all the previous talented layoff you did I am not surprised, first you ditched Alternity at the place of doing a proper marketing strategy and after DnD is completed, you let go of all the great minds that could have continued creating great books for 40$ eachs!!!
>>It is with great sadness that today we must announce some organizational changes.
HA! let me laugh!!! I am rolling on the floor!! As if you felt bad!!
>>Today’s organizational changes are designed to help drive our business into the future to improve our performance and our long-term profitability.
Is this some kind of sick joke, I mean how can you realistically expect to go forward when all your best creative minds are no longer there. Let me Guess, Pokemon D20 is on the way?? whooooo the flag ship of d20!!
Look at Monte Cook and Jim Butler, two simple examples, these guys run successfull small companies and you let these guys go.
>>Unfortunately, some positions have been eliminated
Unfortunately!! Funny, very funny, nice corporate speach, did you get the content of your press release from the best 100 lay off speach resulting from the dotnet wave of death.
>>Employees leaving the company will receive a competitive severance program including pay and benefits continuation, career transition services and support.
That is the minimum after all they created that you will continue selling for years and years.
>>While these types of moves are always difficult, our competitive industry demands that we operate as efficiently as possible.
I fail to understand the efficiency here, no creative mind = no new quality product, no new quality product = less and less interest in your material. People will turn to Bastion press, Malhavok press and other companies from guys who created the game in the first place.
>>For example, as part of Hasbro’s U.S. Games Segment, we can take advantage of the leverage afforded by utilizing shared services available across the broader Hasbro organization instead of maintaining duplicate functions at additional expense.
For once in your press release, I agree, but don't tell me that the likes of Jeff Grubs, JD Wiker, Bill Slavisecka are replicated elsewhere in hasbro. I could beleive you for clerks, janitors, administration people and the likes, but not the creative minds!!! What? your going to put Transformers and GiJoes peoples in Charge of DnD??? <Cobra commander screamin>REtreeeaaaat!!!</Cobra commander screamin>
>>Wizards of the Coast will continue to lead by example in the hobby industry as the worldwide market share leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories.
I certainly HOPE with all my heart that no one ever follows your croporate style of dealing with you staff and brand because they will fail. The future of roleplaying is small companies of a couple of creative minds that works lovingly on products that they will be proud to release and won't be fired as soon as it is done. And I sure hope that you will release the DnD brand to one of the smaller companies that will take good care of the brand and not throw it down the toilet like you are doing.
>>We believe that the moves we are making today and throughout the rest of this year will help contribute to our long-term growth and profitability...
let me tell you one thing. The move you are making today is one move too many for me. I have decided to boycott you from now on. I have all the books I need to continue playing the great games that you former staff created, and I will continue supporting all the small companies out there like Bastion press, Malhavoc press and Fantasy flight games that will continue delivering tremendous quality material. And you know why it is good? because they are the guys that made the game in the first place. YES! You made money with me, I guess that I have more than 600$ of books from you, revel in this victory because it is your last as far as I am concerned and rest assured that ALL my hard earned money will go to those I respect.
>>..as we continue to bring to market great games to consumers around the world.
My venting is almost done and I think that all I said is quite enough to explain how I feel about my doubt for you to be able to do such a feat.
In conclusion, you made dramatic layoffs for the last couple of years, and I will simply follow those you threw away and that I love and respect. Here is a list of names of those I love and respect for what they gave me to use at my gaming table, for their devotion and loyalty to the gaming community (and that you let go BTW):
Monte Cook
Sean k. Reynolds
Jim Butler
Chris Pramas
Jeff Grubs
JD Wiker
Bill Slavisecka and
Ryan Dancey (IIRC he was only contractual but what the hell...)
PS : Once again I appologize to the rest of the d20 community but this had to come out. You can now Flame me, I feel I deserve it after having taken to 2 or 3 page down of forum space.
Beholder
http://www.rpgzone.org
Here is the latest news from Gamming report:
--------------------------------------------
RE: Reorganization
The past two years have been challenging ones for Wizards of the Coast. It is with great sadness that today we must announce some organizational changes. Today’s organizational changes are designed to help drive our business into the future to improve our performance and our long-term profitability.
Unfortunately, some positions have been eliminated. Employees leaving the company will receive a competitive severance program including pay and benefits continuation, career transition services and support.
While these types of moves are always difficult, our competitive industry demands that we operate as efficiently as possible. For example, as part of Hasbro’s U.S. Games Segment, we can take advantage of the leverage afforded by utilizing shared services available across the broader Hasbro organization instead of maintaining duplicate functions at additional expense.
Wizards of the Coast will continue to lead by example in the hobby industry as the worldwide market share leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories. We believe that the moves we are making today and throughout the rest of this year will help contribute to our long-term growth and profitability, as we continue to bring to market great games to consumers around the world.
Loren Greenwood
Chief Operating Officer
Wizards of the Coast
-----------------
**NOTE to Morrus, if you feel you need to remove this post, I won't feel cheated, I just need to blow off some steam.**
Alright, I am usually a lurker here, I never say much, I am a professional in the 30s and consider my self a level minded person. I have played dnd in all it's forms for the last 15 years, but I sudenlly feel, for the first time in my life, the need to burst in an uncontrolable fit of sarcasm for something seen on the net.
Here goes, point by point (Sorry for those who don't want to see this, but for those who feel like venting I would suggest for you to participate):
>>The past two years have been challenging ones for Wizards of the Coast.
You bet!!!!! with all the previous talented layoff you did I am not surprised, first you ditched Alternity at the place of doing a proper marketing strategy and after DnD is completed, you let go of all the great minds that could have continued creating great books for 40$ eachs!!!
>>It is with great sadness that today we must announce some organizational changes.
HA! let me laugh!!! I am rolling on the floor!! As if you felt bad!!
>>Today’s organizational changes are designed to help drive our business into the future to improve our performance and our long-term profitability.
Is this some kind of sick joke, I mean how can you realistically expect to go forward when all your best creative minds are no longer there. Let me Guess, Pokemon D20 is on the way?? whooooo the flag ship of d20!!
Look at Monte Cook and Jim Butler, two simple examples, these guys run successfull small companies and you let these guys go.
>>Unfortunately, some positions have been eliminated
Unfortunately!! Funny, very funny, nice corporate speach, did you get the content of your press release from the best 100 lay off speach resulting from the dotnet wave of death.
>>Employees leaving the company will receive a competitive severance program including pay and benefits continuation, career transition services and support.
That is the minimum after all they created that you will continue selling for years and years.
>>While these types of moves are always difficult, our competitive industry demands that we operate as efficiently as possible.
I fail to understand the efficiency here, no creative mind = no new quality product, no new quality product = less and less interest in your material. People will turn to Bastion press, Malhavok press and other companies from guys who created the game in the first place.
>>For example, as part of Hasbro’s U.S. Games Segment, we can take advantage of the leverage afforded by utilizing shared services available across the broader Hasbro organization instead of maintaining duplicate functions at additional expense.
For once in your press release, I agree, but don't tell me that the likes of Jeff Grubs, JD Wiker, Bill Slavisecka are replicated elsewhere in hasbro. I could beleive you for clerks, janitors, administration people and the likes, but not the creative minds!!! What? your going to put Transformers and GiJoes peoples in Charge of DnD??? <Cobra commander screamin>REtreeeaaaat!!!</Cobra commander screamin>
>>Wizards of the Coast will continue to lead by example in the hobby industry as the worldwide market share leader in the trading card game and tabletop role-playing game categories.
I certainly HOPE with all my heart that no one ever follows your croporate style of dealing with you staff and brand because they will fail. The future of roleplaying is small companies of a couple of creative minds that works lovingly on products that they will be proud to release and won't be fired as soon as it is done. And I sure hope that you will release the DnD brand to one of the smaller companies that will take good care of the brand and not throw it down the toilet like you are doing.
>>We believe that the moves we are making today and throughout the rest of this year will help contribute to our long-term growth and profitability...
let me tell you one thing. The move you are making today is one move too many for me. I have decided to boycott you from now on. I have all the books I need to continue playing the great games that you former staff created, and I will continue supporting all the small companies out there like Bastion press, Malhavoc press and Fantasy flight games that will continue delivering tremendous quality material. And you know why it is good? because they are the guys that made the game in the first place. YES! You made money with me, I guess that I have more than 600$ of books from you, revel in this victory because it is your last as far as I am concerned and rest assured that ALL my hard earned money will go to those I respect. >>..as we continue to bring to market great games to consumers around the world.
My venting is almost done and I think that all I said is quite enough to explain how I feel about my doubt for you to be able to do such a feat.
In conclusion, you made dramatic layoffs for the last couple of years, and I will simply follow those you threw away and that I love and respect. Here is a list of names of those I love and respect for what they gave me to use at my gaming table, for their devotion and loyalty to the gaming community (and that you let go BTW):
Monte Cook
Sean k. Reynolds
Jim Butler
Chris Pramas
Jeff Grubs
JD Wiker
Bill Slavisecka and
Ryan Dancey (IIRC he was only contractual but what the hell...)
PS : Once again I appologize to the rest of the d20 community but this had to come out. You can now Flame me, I feel I deserve it after having taken to 2 or 3 page down of forum space.
Beholder
http://www.rpgzone.org
Last edited:
Breakdaddy
First Post
Re: Re: Moronic speculation...
Hear hear Gonzo! I love being set aright by supercilious individuals who perceive me as part of the "unwashed masses" as well! If this fellow were so intellectually superior, he would have better things to do than troll enworld looking for places to post random depreciatory remarks.
Gonzo the Mofo said:
Hear hear Gonzo! I love being set aright by supercilious individuals who perceive me as part of the "unwashed masses" as well! If this fellow were so intellectually superior, he would have better things to do than troll enworld looking for places to post random depreciatory remarks.
paqman
First Post
Don't worry, near the end of my post I was already cooling down. But it felt soooo good.
One thing I need to add, DnD as been the center of my bunch of friends. i have played with the same guys for years and feel really attached to it. I guess that I blew a lead.
As I said, I feel better now
drakhe
First Post
SHARK said:Greetings!
You know, in my opinion, getting rid of Skip and penny Williams is just sooo dumb, you know? I see people involved in things like this--as well as others--as intellectual, creative resources. Getting rid of such crucial resources is just stupid, and to my mind, can't be good for a company.
Sorry--it's like a platoon of Marines. Sure, every Marine is important--but the veterans, even more so. The veterans are the leaders, and the ones to inspire the rest of the team to greatness.
Wizards may have a hundred other game designers--but some game designers, like Skip, are not so easily found. They take time, skill, experience, and investment to build. This is a terrible loss for Wizards, whether they realise it or not.
I wish all the people that were fired the best. I do hope they will find excellent employment with other companies. If these companies in the end begin to make a bigger splash, and DO MORE as far as contributing great game material, well, Wizards can just eat cake!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
There is one major difference. Your analogy is correct except for this: in the military: everybody gets paid the same, and the veterans get paid a bit more, but not extravagantly so.
In a corporation the situation is a bit different. And this goes for WOTC (games design) as for my current employer (where I'm in IT). The established veteran designers (wether games designers for WOTC or software designers/programmers for my employer) are just too expensive! (not my point, but the view of THE corporation!) So the corporation gets rid of this veteran EXPENSIVE talent and replaces with untested not-established CHEAPER new talent. The thing with WOTC is that these designers have a certain fame and recognition because they are published and have their names on millions of books. This creates emotion in the gaming community. The veteran programmers are just simply to expensive. And nobody will ever get emotional over their fate (except him and his colleagues) And now they're going to be layed off, their hell just begins! A bunch of them is 50+ of age which means they haven't got a change in the IT market but at the same time still have to work a considerable number of years to reach their pension.
drakhe
First Post
Re: The Sage? Gone?
They're keeping the cow and aregetting rid of the farmer. The license (the NAME D&D ...) probably still is worth something to Hasbor, but I guess once the people are gone, it will soon become worthless to them also.
It's just to hope that they have the heart to sell the license instead of letting it bleed to death. It's not he first time licenses have been bought to throw them in the bin (stuff like this has happened in the RPG industry! remember Last Unicorn)
Cougar said:
They're keeping the cow and aregetting rid of the farmer. The license (the NAME D&D ...) probably still is worth something to Hasbor, but I guess once the people are gone, it will soon become worthless to them also.
It's just to hope that they have the heart to sell the license instead of letting it bleed to death. It's not he first time licenses have been bought to throw them in the bin (stuff like this has happened in the RPG industry! remember Last Unicorn)
drakhe
First Post
Re: Re: Re: The Sage? Gone?
How can anybody be instrumental in creating anything if they are not asked to be involved or, as you say, are alienated by current decisions. I mean, seeing as the industry works nowadays, 4th edition will be done on request by the license holder, not (never) because somebody wants to do it. (Well OK, somebody who would like to do it can offer a proposition, but again, its the icense holder who decides.)
I do agree with you that it's sad that these people are kicked out, but hey: Garry Gygax didn't do DnD3E either, did he)
Enkhidu said:
How can anybody be instrumental in creating anything if they are not asked to be involved or, as you say, are alienated by current decisions. I mean, seeing as the industry works nowadays, 4th edition will be done on request by the license holder, not (never) because somebody wants to do it. (Well OK, somebody who would like to do it can offer a proposition, but again, its the icense holder who decides.)
I do agree with you that it's sad that these people are kicked out, but hey: Garry Gygax didn't do DnD3E either, did he)
Well, I know its been said before, but I send best wishes to Skip Williams, Penny Williams, Stan Brown, Jeff Grubb, and all others that got the cut. But whos says that this mass amount of amazing talent wont get hired by another game product company? Not to get all religious, but God works in the weirdest f**kin ways, so this could actually be the begining of some great products. Ones made by people who know and play the game, not "bean counters" who stand over their shoulders telling them to put more "crunchy bits in the Forgotten Rums books" (I thought that was a great story, a classic perhaps).
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